Meet Adam Schwartz of Willow Canyon High School in NW Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Schwartz.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have spent the past 20 years in education. After college, I wasn’t sure what path I wanted to take. I ended up moving from Tucson, AZ to Upstate NY and coaching college football for six years. I served stints at Hamilton College, Cornell University, and Rutgers University. I met my future wife while working at Cornell; College coaching is a tumultuous career. We opted to pursue something more conducive to family. I enrolled at ASU, earned a Masters in Curriculum, and began teaching science. After three years in the classroom, I moved into administration. As an educational leader, I feel like I have an opportunity to have an impact on students, a community, and our future.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have learned a lot over the years. Regardless of your career, you enter it with certain assumptions and ideas of what it will be like and best practices. If you are lucky, half of those assumptions are accurate. Education is not a complicated field…people are complicated and it is important to remember that people come first. I would consider this to be among the most valuable lessons I’ve learned. If I put people first (students, families, staff) the rest comes much easier.

Willow Canyon High School – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At Willow Canyon High School we relentlessly pursue a Winning Culture. When I arrived on campus nearly a year ago, I realized that we had no battle cry. Auburn has War Eagle, Arizona has Bear Down, Willow Canyon had nothing. We started conversations about what it should be and what it should mean. One day, one of our students was interviewing an athlete on our morning broadcast. He pointed to the WC on her uniform and stated, “That WC stands for Winning Culture!” And our battle cry/slogan/focus was born. A Winning Culture describes what we strive for in the classroom, how we play sports, how we perform in the arts, and how we treat each other.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I have worked with tens of thousands of students over my career. Each student who has accomplished a goal or overcomes a hardship is a part of my proudest moment. Each teacher who runs an award-winning program is a part of my proudest moment. Each club or sport who represents our school is a part of my proudest moment.

Contact Info:

• Address: 17901 W Lundberg St
  Surprise, AZ 85388
• Website: http://www.dysart.org/wchs
• Phone: 623-523-8000
• Email: adam.schwartz@dysart.org
• Instagram: @willowcanyonhs
• Facebook: @willowcanyonhighschool
• Twitter: @willowcanyonhs

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